See Reese Run
by Ryceryn
Summary: When a mishap lands an unsure girl in the Host Club, she doesn't realize her life is about to be turned upside-down. Now with new friends, maybe she can make it through life unscathed. OC based. Rated for violence and coarse language.
1. Welcome to the Host Club!

Pounding.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

Like the sound of a giant's footsteps, my head throbbed as I cracked open my eyes. Light invaded, like a parasite wishing to feed off of my vision. It hurt, so I shut my eyes again and opened them slowly; this time, I adjusted, and the room swam as my eyes continually ran out of focus. I brought my knees up to my chest, resting my elbows on them and covering my eyes with my hands. I proceeded to run my fingers through my hair, wanting to feel the usual long, silkiness that I hardly needed to maintenance. When my fingers stopped short, where my hair was suddenly cut off and felt rough, I almost panicked. I couldn't remember at first. But then I realized that my hair was burnt off, and I worried about what else that happened. I must have been on sedatives; my left arm was in a cast, and I couldn't feel it, but my ribs ached distinctly.

The room, which had a shut and locked window and drawer next to my bed, was completely white. An EKG blipped on the other side. Needles were everywhere in my skin; before I pulled them out, I unplugged the monitor so it wouldn't alert the nurses. Then I hastily ripped out the needles, not caring that I cut my skin in the process. Hospitals reeking of lemons and disinfectant were not where I needed to be.

There were no mirrors in my room; I could not inspect the damage. However, my clothes, consisting of a black tank top, black shorts, and a black sleeveless trench that came down to my calves sat atop a chair, which was, of course, devoid of any visitors.

Nobody knew me.

Nobody could visit.

I did not exist.

I slipped off the sling and dressed, noting tears and dried blood on the leather of my trench and shrugged it off. At the very least, I would appear to have been in a bar fight and hopefully no one with common courtesy would bother me. I stuck my hands in my pockets and looked down at my feet as I left my room. Blood ran down my right arm through a bandage and dripped off of my middle finger as I walked. Panic seized me; I was afraid of blood. With the sudden need to vomit, I rushed out of the hospital. Naturally, someone always notices, and someone cried after me, "Wait! You aren't supposed to leave!"  
>but I was blazing out of there, stopping for about twenty seconds to throw up in a bush, but then I kept running. My freedom would not be taken and there were more important things for me to do. I checked my phone, which was in the back pocket of my shorts: 7:32.<p>

I was late for my first day at Ouran.

I arrived at Ouran half an hour later; I had only spared enough time to run back home, grab my bag, and use my motorcycle to get to Ouran. By the time I picked up my books and schedule in the office (the secretary of whom gave me a disapproving look) and knocked on the door of what I hoped was the right class, there were only eight minutes before the bell would ring for second period. A seemingly young woman with brown hair in a bun and glasses opened the door for me. "And you are probably our new student. You are late. Very late. Let me see your schedule and take a seat. Why are you not wearing your uniform? What kind of clothes are those? What happened to your hair? Why are you wea-" I held up my hand and closed my eyes, exhaling deeply with what was probably an irritated expression on my face. I looked her in the eyes with an expression of _"Don't. Please."_ and she zipped her lips, nodding firmly. "Morning detention. One week. Not a very good impression, young man."

I paused.

Did she just call me a **_man_**?

This was going to give me serious self confidence issues...

Did I really look like a dude?

I nodded, not bothering to correct her. It didn't matter to me, and if I looked like a guy, that was my problem. I took my schedule from her hands, and sat in the back corner of the room. In front of me were two orange-haired boys with grey eyes that I noticed kept glancing back at me; I didn't mind. If I weren't me, I would look at me too... if that made any sense. To my left was a boy with chocolate brown eyes and matching hair who was courteous enough not to stare, and instead read a book. I hated the fact that I actively smelled like smoke and the tangy scent of blood filled my nose. I tried to hold my breath and think about anything else but red. But naturally, we all have to breathe sometime and I just did my best to hold back my gag reflex.

I scratched the grains of wood on my desk with a smoke-grayed fingernail and glanced shyly at the boy on my left. I asked in a hoarse, raspy, worn voice, "What book are you reading?" and he looked up sharply, surprise and shock registering on his face for a fraction of a second before flashing a charming smile. "Petals on the Wind by V.C. Andrews."

I nodded. It was common ground and at least I could take assurance in knowing I wouldn't be completely alone.

"V.C. died back in 1986 of breast cancer and was replaced by a ghost write named Andrew Neiderman." I said, looking back down at my desk so I didn't have to look him in the eyes. I could hear shock in his surprisingly feminine voice. "I had no idea! He writes just like her..."

I nodded. "I didn't know until a few months ago, mainly because she died before any of us were born."

One of the orange-haired boys turned around to look at the chocolate haired one. "Got a new friend, Haruhi? Boy, you sure hang out with some strange commoner folk."

The other one joined in. "Yeah." He looked at me pointedly. "You do look like you dressed as if you came right out of a dumpster... or a war zone."

I blushed madly in embarrassment. As much as I tried not to let anyone get to me, I could understand what they were thinking from the way I was dressed and I still had the capacity to be humiliated. I crossed my arms and laid my head in them, not letting anyone see my face. I successfully held in my tears of shame.

This Haruhi, however, did not hold in his cries of anger. "That was uncalled for, Hikaru, Kaoru! Apologize!"

They both sighed audibly. "If it means that much to you. We're sorry, commoner." They said in unison.

I promptly ignored them, and was literally saved by the bell. I was the first one out of the door.

I also discovered that I had Honors Chemistry with the trio, though I sat too far away from them to interact (thank the lord) and Physical Education, but I did not have clothes so I did not participate. In Trigonometry, I sat beside Haruhi, but we did not interact. She apologized for how the twins had behaved that morning, but I merely nodded my head and buried my face in my math textbook.

By the time the end of lunch rolled around, I decided this school was a living hell.

I was originally sitting by myself on a bench in the courtyard for lunch. I didn't want to be bothered. However, a group of sneering boys whose uniforms were sloppily untucked and smelled of grease and cigarette smoke advanced upon my personal bubble. "Hey. Newbie." sneered one, and laughed. "Whatcha doin' sitting there all alone? Surely trash of your level would be hanging out with some low-life losers." He bent down to look me in the eye. I stared at the ground. "Why don'tcha look at me, scum? Too scared to stand up for yourself?" His smirk grew wider at my silence.

My head spun. I would never hurt anyone, not even scum. I couldn't hurt these guys if they attacked me... it was against my moral code, and I would get in trouble. I continued to stare at the ground, but instead of remaining silent, I decided to fight with words. I answered the oily, pimple-faced boy. "If I were to hang out with trash that you say I am equal to... would you not be referring to yourself? I dare say you people are not my type of crowd and are obnoxiously arrogant." There was an audible gasp amongst the five of them, and without warning, the one I had addressed punched me so hard I went tumbling off of the bench. _This is NOT my day... _I thought.

However, I did not fight back, or hurt anyone, for that matter. Laying in the dirt on my right side, I scrunched up in a fetal position and guarded my face with my clenched fists as I had learned in a self defense class, as they brutally kicked me around. I put my arms out to stop myself from rolling around, and while my face was not covered, the oily-faced teen kicked me in the face and blood spurted everywhere. I could feel myself going into shock, able to tell from the fact that all of a sudden I was thinking random, irrational thoughts like, "I forgot my bag in my locker..." and "I could really go for a bowl of ramen right now." I brought up my hand to feel my nose, and pulled it away to see the red liquid coated my hand, and it ran into my mouth. I could taste the tangy metallic flavor, and it made me gag. My vision split and everything tripled, even the snorts and high fives of the gang. "That's what you get for fucking with us. Have a good day, trash." And they walked away.

_Really. What had I done to deserve this?_

_Haul God's ass down here. We're gonna have WORDS._

The first thing I did was shakily get on my feet, and I stepped onto the stone path that connected buildings of the school, which was also sheltered by a stone roof that was held up by matching pillars every couple of feet. I kept my hand on my nose, trying to stop the blood flow, and couldn't stop thinking about that bowl of ramen. After walking about fifteen feet, I staggered and stumbled, unable to hold up my weight. My energy was completely sapped, and I wondered if it had been such a good idea to leave the hospital in the first place. However, I tried not to doubt that; promptness was my priorty.

The last bell rang, and signalled that school was over. The courtyard and its path were at the back of the school, so no one passed by me, and I assumed that everyone boarded buses and got in their cars at the front of the school. Using my left hand, the one that was not coated in blood, I did my best to stay upright once I got back into the halls. The nurse was only here until one, I knew that much, so she was definitely not present. I wouldn't be able to drive home, not the way I was. I couldn't fathom any other options, and I figured I was hallucinating when I saw a small boy with brown hair and a taller one with blonde hair and purple eyes standing in front of me in triples. I could recognize the first one as Haruhi, but I wasn't able to match the blonde with anyone I knew before the ground rushed up to meet me.

"Have some caaaaaaake! Please?"

_Cake? What? I don't want cake..._

"Haru-chaaaaaan! Have some caaaake!"

_So this person was not talking to me..._

My mind felt encased in blackness, and I couldn't open my eyes...

The whiny voice was replaced by a deep, intimidating one.

"Honey. Don't bother Haruhi. She needs to do this."

A crack was audible, and I could hears ear piercing screams echo in what was obviously a large room. My nose felt like it had been cleaved in two and a hand covered my mouth, but left enough space so I could breathe and only when my throat was raw and aching did I realizing that this person had been trying to muffle screams that were mine. I stopped, the angry pains subsiding into strong, sharp jabs. My breathing was forced and heavy, every breath a full effort in and of itself. "W...water..." I panted, and suddenly shrieks pretty much cracked my ear drums.

"WATER! WE MUST ATTAIN WATER! I SHALL VALIANTLY ACCOMPLISH THIS FEAT SINGLE-HANDED!" yelled a presumably male voice.

A voice that I recognized from somewhere, but unclear where, cut into the hysterics.

"Tamaki-senpai. There's a water fountain right outside the door. It's not that hard a feat to accomplish."

"**THEN I SHALL COMPLETE THIS NON-DIFFICULT TASK WITH BRAVADO**!" he yelled, and I could hear running steps and a door opening, then slamming shut.

At the very least, whatever I was laying on was comfortable...

Less than thirty seconds later, the footsteps returned and I could hear the crackling of a water bottle. Someone, supposedly Haruhi, opened my mouth and poured the cooling liquid down my throat. I gratefully accepted it, and she stopped after a few seconds. I was still parched, however, and as much effort as it took, I wrenched open my eyes and blinked to adjust to the light. Haruhi sat next to me, holding the bottle, and looked excessively concerned. I abandoned all usual manner and snatched the water bottle from her, and sat up with lightning speed, sharp pains in my ribs stopping my breaths momentarily. Regardless, I closed my eyes and downed the whole bottle in one go, dropping it on the floor when I was done. I put my elbows on my knees and covered my eyes with my palms, trying to gulp in fresh air. I didn't hear the several pairs of footsteps collaborate to stop right in front of me. Just breathed. No thoughts.

Breathe.

Breathe...

Absolute silence.

I looked up to see what the silence was for, and seven pairs of eyes were staring back at me.

My throat constricted, and suddenly I was thirsty again. My face grew red, I was sure of it, and grabbed a pillow off of what I was sitting on- an antique sofa. I didn't register that the sofa or the pillow were expensive, I just needed to escape, _escape_, **ESCAPE** prying eyes. I rolled off of the sofa and under it, covering my face with the pillow as stars flew in front of my eyes from lack of air. I crushed my eyes shut and forced myself to breathe, lest I pass out again and I wanted to get home _sometime_. I tried to escape by crawling out from under the other side of the sofa, but they were there too. I scrambled to my feet and made a break for the door, but somebody grabbed my wrist. "You can't go anywhere. Just lay down for a little while, at least until you feel better." Haruhi's voice was laced with good intentions, but I didn't listen to him. His wrist felt like it burned my flesh, and I ripped my hand away. "I... I'm... fine! See?" I tried to smile, but it was more than obvious that I looked like I would vomit any moment, I was sure of it. My voice was unusually squeaky and laced with panic, and I stole a quick glance behind me. The door was RIGHT THERE. I turned about-face and booked it out of the door.

I didn't stop until I made it to the parking lot, jumping on my motorcycle. I revved it up and blazed out of there, flinching every time I passed a car. I didn't live far from Ouran, maybe twenty minutes. But it was far enough. The cold air, mixed with the first drops of an April rainfall, cooled my face and calmed my mind. I was reckless enough to not have put on my helmet, but I didn't care. I had been riding a motorcycle long enough to know I wouldn't do anything dumb enough to get me in a crash, and already God had given me enough bad luck for a lifetime. Losing my parents, fear of cars, people, contact, claustrophobia... he wouldn't dare send a crash my way. I would beat his ass when I made it to Heaven, and his only choice would be to send me to Hell. I would then commence beating Satan's ass into the ground, and he would have no choice but to send me back to Earth...

Apparently, I'm still wonky from shock.

They were right. I shouldn't be driving.

And from what I saw when I got home, I shouldn't have left the school at all.

My house was burnt to the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>This is the very first fanfiction I actually plan to finish; I am an exceedingly large fan of Ouran High School Host Club and I take pride in my moderately advanced vocabulary. I dare say that I leave it up to you readers to find typing errors so that I may fix them; all aside, enjoy my story as it builds into something I hope we shall both like. ^_^<strong>


	2. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

I waited by the counter, signing my name in the guest log as the guy went in back to get me a key for my room. I buried my head in my hands. I hadn't lost much, but that was my HOME. Where I had lived with my parents... and it was gone...

And I knew who did it.

I was never going to have a boyfriend. Ever again.

The only thing he didn't know was that all my money was in a bank; I could have just as easily bought another house, ten, even. But that one was special. I didn't have many belongings in it, just whatever was mine. I donated all my parents things to various charity and auctioned off others when they died. It had been my choice. When I pay bills, I just have the companies take money directly out of the bank. If I needed to shop, I took some out and spent it. There was nothing in my house but memories I wanted to keep. I could have still lived on, but he knew the house was what I cherished most.

Bastard.

I slapped the cash for a month's rent down on the counter. The man, obviously a creeper, with large teeth and big horn rimmed glasses and a nasally voice, raised his eyebrows at me but did not question me. I stomped off to my room, relishing in a hot shower before I went to bed. It was moderately clean, with a small refridgerator and comfortable bed with a sitting chair and desk, plus a TV. A door on the left wall as soon as I walked into the room opened to a small kitchen. I was not one to squander money on something better when the basics would do nicely.

An ironing board hung in the closet, which I figured I would make good use of for the next while. I used it to iron out my crumpled blazer, my uniform for school. I didn't have the trousers or a button down shirt to go underneath it; those had been burned, but I picked up very similar copies at Macy's. It would suffice for tomorrow. I also picked up some ointments and antibacterial sprays; after finding a mirror in the Macy's dressing room and having people stare at me constantly, I figure it was that bad. I stood in front of the mirror. It was past midnight; I needed to be quick about it lest I have another sleepless night.

Looking at my reflection, I almost threw up for the dozenth time that day. Most of my face was just one large bruise, and when I was just in my bra, I could see lacerations and dark purple bruises heavily covering my back and abdomen. I ached everywhere, and just moving was a chore, but I kept going. There wasn't much to do about my broken ribs, arm, or bruises, but I used the spray on lacerations and cuts to prevent infections, plus ointment in my eye for the same reason. I used ice to take down the swelling on my nose and thankfully much of the pain and all the blood had washed away in the shower. I had to thank Haruhi for realigning my nose, at least when I grew the lady-balls (A.K.A. Me putting it lightly) to talk to anybody else besides my reflection.

I guess only lonely people do that...

But I'm not lonely, just people-shy.

I wiped my sore eyes and did a quick breathing excercise to calm my already frayed nerves. I slipped into bed, and fell into dreamless sleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

The next day, I daresay, was much better; Haruhi and the twins were not in my first class, preparations for some club, I think. So I could breathe knowing I didn't have to talk to anyone immediately. Instead of sticking around the school, during my lunch break I went and had my hair cut. Once all the rough edges were cut, I realized that I did look like a feminine boy. It looked a lot like that blonde's hair I saw yesterday- Tamaki, was his name? only my locks were black. What remained was still silky, and most definitely managable. I thanked the barber and made it back to school so the teachers wouldn't think I was just skipping early. I went back to my locker to collect my books and readied myself for some serious shopping if I was going to make it through the rest of the year. Various numbers, stores, and fashion styles flitted through my head, but none of them would look quite as feminine as they would have with my old hair.

All my thoughts froze when I heard a familiar voice... that of a greasy, oily-skinned boy. I looked around the door to my locker, slammed it shut, turned foot and ran. They all laughed and gave chase, and I was at least ten paces ahead of them; if I had a conveniently located corner... like the one coming up right now! I rounded the corner, and opened the door as far from them as I could get before they rounded the corner. I locked the handle and sighed, dropping my bag and sinking to the floor, to resume my habit of covering my eyes with my palms. When I felt a feathery touch against my hand, I peeked through my fingers. Rose petals floated through the air, and there they stood.

"Welcome." they all said together.

"Only those with excellent social standing and those from filthy rich families are lucky enough to spend their time here at the elite private school, Ouran Academy. The Ouran Host Club is where the school's handsomest boys with too much time on their hands entertain young ladies who," he stopped to chuckle, "also have too much time on their hands. Just think of it as Ouran Academy's elegant playground for the super rich and beautiful!" cried the blonde, obviously very passionate about... erm... something just short of whoring. To put it kindly, of course.

"Oh wow. It's a boy!" said the twins in unison.

"Not just any boy. It's that one we took care of yesterday!" squealed a tiny kid with blonde hair and chocolate eyes.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, Haruhi. I believe this young man is in the same class as you, isn't he?" said a nerdy looking one with black hair and glasses.

"Yeah, but he's shy. He doesn't act very sociably, so we don't know much about him!"

Haruhi interjected. "D j vu..."

Everybody froze, and stared at me.

I fidgeted, grabbing my bag and hiding my face, relishing in the darkness that the cover provided. "Please let me stay here!" I squeaked into the bag. "They're looking for me...!" I had no idea what they all stopped and stared at me for, until the nerdy one spoke his next statement. "You aren't really a boy, are you?" he said, in a cool manner of tone. My tension was obviously detectable from my spot on the floor. "Of course I am! Don't be silly!" I laughed nervously, starting to get into the habit of sounding like one of those little rodents from Alvin and the Chipmunks. And yet, I had a feeling I was not fooling any of them. Well, maybe the tall blond. But he looked fairly simple minded in the first place...

Then Nerd asked me the last thing I would have expected.

"Would you like to join the Host Club?"

Nerd, which I soon learned his name was Kyoya Otori, listed off to me a number of reasons why I really had no choice. First, I bloodied their sofa and pillow, and he named a pretty high price. I could have easily paid for it, but he also said that considering the fact I was posing as a male, and was not a member of the club, I therefore was not allowed in there to run from my pursuers unless I accepted membership, which I did eagerly without thought...

Boy, I had no idea what I was getting into!

Kyoya told me the only reason he made the offer was because he figured I was not only not looking for a boyfriend, which would have ruined my cover, but I was also "quite a handsome young man underneath the bruises, a face that lives up to our standards. I have a previous picture of you without injuries and by photomanipulating your hair, I do believe once you heal that you will reign in quite a bit of business."

So he was basically a selfish bastard, but that was ok.

I often found myself curled up in a ball in the corner on weekdays from two to five, the hours in which the Host Club ran. Sometimes I read a book that Haruhi would bring me, or I would help Kyoya with numbers when he was busy. Either way, I had to haul my weight sometimes as long as I couldn't host yet. I was perfectly fine with that, and slowly learned everyone's names; the tall one with tanned skin and black hair was Mori, and the tiny one on his shoulder was Honey. Of course, Kyoya and Haruhi, and Tamaki was the dumb blond. Then the twins. I could usually tell them apart from their eyebrows; not that their eyebrows were different, but just the way in which they moved gave them different expressions so I could tell who was who. The one that had a kinder face and more toned down voice was Kaoru, and the louder, arrogant, and more carefree one was Hikaru. I didn't talk with them much. As a matter of fact, I didn't speak at all, really; occasionally, Haruhi and Kyoya spoke to me, but I wouldn't say anything back...

Until, a couple weeks after I met the Host Club, Haruhi asked me where I lived.

Having grown somewhat more comfortable around her (I found out she was a girl, like me, who just didn't like the dresses), I replied in my usual hoarse voice, "A motel... for now." This caught her attention, and she stopped sweeping up rose petals. "A motel? Why?" She cocked her head to the side, looking at me with the usual concern.

"I will be honest. I'm sorry, but I am not comfortable disclosing that with you right now."

She nodded. "I totally respect that."

Then there was Tamaki, who wasn't fooled at all, despite my meaningless hope. He would sweep about (albeit gracefully, but only half the time) with roses in his hands, and offer them to me by shoving them in my face and calling me his princess. His loud demeanor and actions always scared me out of my skin and either I would blush madly and hide behind my book (or hands, whatever was convenient) or I would run to another corner and pull my blazer up over my head to avoid looking at him. This would dishearten him, but as stubborn as he was, he would always try again in a little while.

And of course, there were less successful endeavors. I also found out the hard way that privacy didn't exist, not in the blue-blooded, elite, top-of-the-line Ouran High School Host club.

Kyoya kept files on absolutely everyone; no one was safe from his peering eyes and knowledgable ways, not even me. I discovered that he didn't have much beyond my physical statistics and parental history, but I still somewhat worried about that. But what was truly worrisome was that he had the address for the motel I was currently staying at; students were required to give updated information to administration in case of an emergency, and apparently this was one of the thing he could easily find merely by tapping a few keys.

Also, up until a certain point, I do believe that Kyoya and some teachers who actual cared to remember that I existed knew my name. I'm not sure when the rest of the Host Club noticed, but in one of Tamaki's usual efforts to enchant me, he asked me what my name was and the twins grew inquisitive also. I just repeated my usual routine, only I sat next to Haruhi on the new sofa, a place where I was starting to feel comfortable just because the others were so wired that they never sat. I did not give them my name, and Haruhi glanced out of the corner of her eye, obviously wondering, just like everyone else, who I was.

The next day, their question was answered with the most thoroughness. When I came upon the Host Club door, I could hear somewhat-muffled voices through them. I paused, my hand on the knob, and I withdrew, sitting next to the door to hear what they were saying. Kyoya spoke, in a rush, obviously to let out the information before I arrived.

"I have her statistics. Listen up." Rushing footsteps, probably crowding around his computer.

"Name: Ryceryn de Ria Age: 16 Birthday: June 21 Height: 6'0 Weight: 128 lbs.  
>Hair color: Black Eye color: Purple<p>

Her parents owned the largest law firm in Asia. Died in a car crash three years ago, and left all their belongings to their only daughter, Ryceryn, who started living by herself recently when she came of age. Her old house also burnt down recently and she lives in a motel in the Kantou region. Drives a silver Harley Davidson and a matching Pagoni Zonda. So she is, as a matter of fact, NOT a commoner like you suspected. Actually, she's probably richer than any of us here. Her net worth could pay for her tuition here millions of times over, but she is here on scholarship."

The twins whistled, and Tamaki cried in fury, "HOW COULD ANYBODY BE THAT RICH? IT'S NOT RIGHT!"

Haruhi's voice answered him. "Tamaki-senpai, you're pretty damn rich yourself. It's nothing to whine about."

I stepped through the door startling the host club into movement. Tamaki ran about like the true idiot he was. The twins whistled in unison, innocently, and Haruhi blushed. Kyoya went back typing on his keyboard, while Honey shove cake in his face and sat atop Mori's shoulder. I grit my teeth, knowing that I would always be at the mercy of those who knew more about me than I wanted them to. I glanced at the usual suspects in turn. "I can totally understand that running the Host Club and being dirty rich makes you happy, and I really don't mind that. But nosing in my private affairs mildly irritates me, and in the end, your money won't buy you back what you miss the most."

Stunned silence. It didn't cease to amaze me.

And every one of them (with the exception of Kyoya) looked so damned ashamed. Even Mori hung his head.

The twins scratched opposing sides of their heads, looking like mirror images. Kyoya cleared his throat, and announced that we would be opening soon. I always just hung in the background when it came time to host, but today would be different. Kyoya addressed me. "Ryceryn. Today will be your first day hosting. Are you ready? Your type is "Shy Guy". I do believe you know enough thus far to understand how we do things here. You do have your notes, right?" I nodded dumbly, pulling my notepad out of my bag. "Good. However, your name is too-"

"Feminine. My nickname is Reese. Does that work?"

"It most definitely does."

"The Host Club is now ooooopen..." sang Tamaki with a flirty air, and girls just piled into the room. Tamaki stood before them, a dreamy look on his face. "Ladies, ladies. Settle down." He paused while the females all found seats around him. "Now. Today I have a very special announcement!" He grabbed me by the arm and drug me up next to him. I hid my face with my note pad. "Today we introduce our new type of host! The Shy Guy!" Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him flip his hair and some of the girls radiated hearts and roses and pink sparkles... which I found thoroughly amusing. I peeked over the legal pad. "OH, HE'S GORGEOUS!" yelled some girls, which elicited squees from the surrounding female audience. I just now realized what I was getting into.

A few minutes later, I was seated, with a horde of females cramping up my space. I couldn't help but blush madly, but no matter what I did that made me feel embarrassed, they all "oo'd" and "ah'd". A constant flow of hearts floated about their heads as they would constantly ask me questions with fangirl-crazy smiles on their faces.

"So, Reese, that's your name, right?"

I nodded.

"What's your favorite color?"

"U-uh... electric blue... I guess?"

Squeals.

"What are your favorite hobbies?"

I flipped through my notepad, blushing madly.

Awwwww's ensued.

"I-I-I... uh... I read...and... uh..."

Squeals.

"Do you like any of us?" said a chocolate eyed girl with big lips.

I blushed, more squeals.

"Well... yeah, I like you all. Very charming, and... pretty?"

Squeals. Hearts. Flowers. A couple girls fainted.

So that's pretty much how those three hours were spent. When we were done, and the girls filtered out, Tamaki was bawling. "How can she! I was upstaged by a GIRL! There were so many... around HER table..."

Kyoya smirked, greedy bastard he was. "Novelty fades with time. The girls will eventually settle down."

But it didn't seem like that was happening. If anything, more girls were at my table each day and even those who hadn't come to the host club before were there, sitting, squealing, and giggling because every other word that came out of my mouth was followed by a long set of ellipses.


	3. You've Got a Friend in Me

The next personal space issue wasn't so much a disturbance as a minor fluctuation in my regular routine.

Haruhi, in desperation to study for the final exams that were next week before school let out, asked if she could stay at my place for the weekend to study. Apparently, we couldn't do it at her father's, because he was having some friends over and from what I could tell from the information Haruhi gave me, he was... different. I didn't pry, but I did consider heavily having another person besides me in my personal space. I tried not to be biased in thought, breathing through my decisions and picking apart what could possibly go wrong. I also did like Haruhi very much, but I just wasn't sure if I was that close to her yet. However, I topped off my decision on my basis to be polite, so I said yes.

I was nervous, of course. I had no clue whatsoever how to act around society, but the week went fast and so did Friday afternoon, just like every other weekday. When we left the Host club right after another session, Haruhi followed me to my motorcycle. I paused. "Do you have everything you need? If you forgot anything, we can stop by the store and grab it before we head to my place." She shook her head. "Nah, I'm cool." I nodded in response and swung a leg over the motorcycle. Haruhi got on the back, but tensed up. I could understand; there weren't a lot of people who drove motorcycles, and she was definitely not one of them. I turned to her. "Do you trust me?" I said softly. She nodded, I nodded, and I revved the engine, tearing out of the parking lot. I did go slower than what was my usual limit, just so I wouldn't freak her out. As antisocial as I was, I wasn't a sadistic bastard who got off on other people's fear.

When we pulled in front of the motel, I held up a finger to tell her to hold for a moment as I went inside to see the owner, and slapped down money for another month. I came back out and Haruhi was standing next to the bike, and I motioned for her to follow. I unlocked my door with the keycard and stepped in, my nerves unwinding at the thought of being in a now-familiar place. "If you don't mind, I'm going to take a shower." I said to Haruhi, going to my closet and pulling out a pair of sweats and a tank top. She nodded. "Go ahead." Before I could go into the bathroom, though, she spoke. "Hey. If you want, you could stay with me and my dad. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." she said, shooting me a sympathetic look. I shook my head. "I'm fine here. I have more than enough money to pay to stay here. It's not an issue." An awkward silence fell between us. "That's not what I meant. I mean, don't you ever get lonely? You live all by yourself and despise any human contact. I was just wondering."

Now I paused. I could understand the reasoning behind her words, but I didn't know how to answer her question without making it sound like a total oxymoron. But I still tried. "Ummm... yeah, I guess I'm lonely, but it's better than not breathing half the time. People just scare me. Especially loud ones like Tamaki." I said, scratching the nape of my neck in thought. "I understand the benefits of having company, but the cons for me outweigh all those. I just have a hard time trusting people. No offense, but I'm not even sure if I trust you yet. My apologies." She nodded, and smiled. "It's ok. I understand. That's how I first was around people too, when I came to Ouran. And especially the Host Club."

Common ground! I could have whooped with joy, but that wasn't my style.

I tried to smile, but I just couldn't do it. I couldn't remember the last time I had smiled and it was literally almost painful for me to do so. A few minutes later I was once again relishing in the comfort of a hot shower, using my favorite watermelon scented shampoo. When I got out, I mopped up water that had spilled out onto the floor and combed my fingers through my hair, once again stopping short. I missed my long hair so much... I grasped the ends of my hair and pulled at them in frustration, needing my version of a security blanket when I was uncomfortable. But it didn't exist anymore, and this was how my hair would look for the rest of my high school career. I picked up a comb and ran through it quickly, then combed some in front so it would dry as the soft bangs that just barely hung in my eyes. I dressed in my tank and sweatpants and loped into the room, using a wireless hair dryer to fluff out my hair. Haruhi sat in the middle of the queen sized bed, examining her science notes with utmost concentration. I stopped. "We have a three day weekend, and we don't need to spend all of our time studying. How about we just chill for now, do shopping tomorrow, and study for Sunday and Monday?" Though obviously not one to procrastinate, apparently she thought it made sense and looked up with a smile on her face. "Sounds good to me, but I didn't bring any mon-"

"Stop worrying about it. I could think of few things better to spend my money on than a day with you."

I held up my hand as she opened her hand to protest. "You think too much. I'm fine with it, ok? You're my... um... friend. Yes, you are my friend." I stated, surprising myself that I actually wanted to spend time with someone. But if having a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach was what happened when I was with a friend, I guess I would have to spend more time with Haruhi. My confidence in my last statement grew, and I nodded my head vigorously to keep away any doubts that might show. I took the notebook from her hands and set her things next to my bag, feeling a weight had vanished from my chest. Speaking of...

"How do you hide under your uniform? Your chest is huge." said Haruhi.

Needless to say, I was thrown off momentarily by such a random statement.

I shrugged, and ran my hand through my hair. "At first, it didn't matter to me because I wasn't trying to look like a boy. But when everyone started thinking I was, I didn't want to get picked on or have a bad reputation for being a tranny, though I didn't need to be one to have bullies already. Especially since I joined the Host Club, it started to matter more so I wore smaller bras and camisoles, and the shape of the blazer took care of the rest, I suppose."

She nodded. "Makes sense. Does the TV work?" I loped over to the television, turning on the power button. I had paid extra to request DirecTV for my television, and bought a Wii for it, too. I figured I would be here long term, so I needed something to cure boredom. I handed her the remote and explained the mechanics, letting her choose what she wanted to watch. I also let her know that the fridge was full of food, and regardless, I ordered pizza with the cash that I had left in my wallet. We would have to take my car tomorrow if we were going shopping...

For the most part, we were silent that night; however, when I suggested we go to bed when the clock reached about two in the morning, I shut off the light and set up a blanket and pillow on the floor, letting Haruhi have the bed. She offerred to let me have it, but I refused, saying she was the guest. She insisted that I at least share the bed with her, which I also rejected, and she caught on. To make things even more uncomfortable, Haruhi asked me something I really did not want to answer.

"What happened that first day of school? When you first came?"

I froze, wondering what to tell her. As trustworthy as she seemed, I didn't know if this was an appropriate subject and I was almost certain I would end up crying if I said anything. I had not been the first relationship abuse case, but he had been awfully brutal. As much as he deserved it, I didn't want to make waves. I just wanted to move on, but then again, this was an opporunity to relieve my conscience. I gulped, nervous, and my voice lowered to a barely audible whisper. "An ex boyfriend of mine. He was getting too violent with me, and when I went to his house to tell him we were breaking up, he went crazy. He beat me down and I guess one of his neighbors heard the commotion and called police. I woke up three days later in the hospital, and it was supposed to be my first day at Ouran. I have a deathly fear of hospitals and a lot of other things, and the last thing I needed was to stay in one. So I left, and found that I was late for school. When I got there, I met you and the twins first period. I was in the courtyard for lunch, and a group of guys were bullying me.  
>I can't hurt anyone, I'm just not that kind of person. I don't like blood either, and it makes me really sick. I had no idea what to do... but you can fill in the dots for me. When I got home, I found my house burnt to the ground. It's way back in the woods, so I can understand why no one noticed, but not why the trees didn't catch fire. A coincidence, I suppose. I attract bad luck like a karma magnet."<p>

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I don't go looking for trouble. It comes looking for me. I just want to be left alone."

I guess Haruhi nodded. "I feel like that sometimes too."

Silence followed, and I heard snoring, so I assumed she had fallen asleep. So did I...

I sighed as I circled the rim of my cup with my fingertip, which held french vanilla cappucino. He knew it was my favorite flavor, and he had set it in front of me with a smile on his face. I really hated to break his happy mood... he looked so jubilant. Maybe he was finally starting to change. _No,_ I thought. _That's what you said to yourself last time. And what happened then?_ I twitched. Sometimes my own mind made more sense than I could as a whole.

"We're over."

My heart skipped a beat as his face contorted; happiness fell into confusion, loss, and anger.

"You can't say that!" He yelled, pounding his fists on the table, a vein in his temple looking fit to burst.

I flinched, cowering away. "I can't do this anymore... I'm sorry..."

In a flash, he was across the table, knocking me off of the chair and pinning me to the floor.

"You can't leave me! The only way you're getting out of this is _if you die_!" he screamed, brutally smashing my face with his fists, aiming punches at my stomach. I coughed, blood spurting through the air onto his face. It almost blended in with his skin, he was so beet red. I kicked him between the legs and threw him off, staggering towards the door. He recovered quickly, and pounced on me, knocking me to the floor. He violently kicked me in the stomach, and didn't stop until I couldn't move. I thought this bout of anger had passed, and he left the room. This reprieve was short-lived, however, and he came back with a knife in his hand. With what strength I had left, I screamed as loud as I could...

I shot up, sweat beading my forehead as I struggled to calm my labored breathing. I grasped my throat with my right hand, trying to vanquish the panic that arose and threatened to engulf me. I stood, walking to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. I tried to make out Haruhi's figure in the dark, but I didn't see anything. I stopped, and walked over to the door of the bathroom. A crack of light was coming from between the frame and door, and I pressed my ear up against it, hearing the shower running. I sighed in relief, glad I hadn't lost her; as improbable as it was, I would have felt guilty had she wandered off or had gotten kidnapped. I went to my closet and grabbed a blue tee with black skulls and rhinestones. I wrote a note to Haruhi saying I was going for a walk, and grabbed my bottle of water. I put on a pair of converses and left the motel, locking it behind me, the cardkey in my pocket. Just a precaution so no one would go in and take Haruhi. I noted that I was excessively protective, and I guess that's what happens when you make a friend.

I ran right out of the parking lot, down the highway for a couple of miles. I ignored the fire in my legs and the ache in my ribs and pushed myself. Evil in the world was not taking a break, not for one day, so neither did I. I tried to divide my water equally among miles and time stretches, and it was still gone by the time I made it back to the hotel, shortly before two. I panted, bent over, hands on knees, and slid the card into the knob.

Naturally, as fate dictates, nothing whatsoever normal awaited me.


	4. Breakfast for Dummies

The entire Host Club was in the room.

The twins were sitting on the bed with Haruhi, playing patty cake and chatting. Honey was eating an obviously portable supply of cake, while sitting in Mori's lap (who was sitting on the floor), Tamaki was poking through my clothes, and Kyoya sat in a chair, typing away on his laptop. When I opened the door, they all paused and looked up at me. I grit my teeth (it was becoming a habit with them) and stepped back outside, slamming the door behind me.

Did I not have a life of my own?

It was like the Host Club stalked me wherever I went!

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to think rationally through my irritation, which had inclined quickly and went off the scale the moment I stepped through the door. I wasn't pushy enough to make them all leave; I guess I would just try to make them not bother me and Haruhi as we spent our day together. Then I rationalized that, too; I had been with them long enough to know that they would all wither and die if they weren't annoying for more than five minutes. I ran my fingers through my hair, which escalated my frustration at the fact that it was still short. I growled.

_Stupid hair! Why can't you grow back over night!_

Regardless, I had to be the adult in a group of kids. I packed away my anger and worries and breathed, crushing my eyes shut and trying to think happy thoughts, which didn't work. I did not have very many happy thoughts, so instead I just stared into the distance and thought, _They need direction. Don't get mad at them. Most of them grew up spoiled and you can deal with it. Will of steel!_

I turned back around and opened the door once again, looking the group straight in the eyes. They stopped (again) and looked at me, some of them nervous (twins), afraid I would beat them up (Tamaki), were absolutely silent and listening for my words intently (Mori), raising eyebrows but typing regardless (Kyoya, of course), looking like he would cry and hastily offering me cake (Honey), or fidgeting, which was Haruhi, of course. I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes (another cluster of habits stemming from my frequent irritation as of late), sighed, and looked at them, putting my hands on my hips. "Everybody, get off of the floor. This motel is gross. Have you no sense of sanitation?" It seemed as if the whole room had been holding its breath, and life was again heard as those who were on the floor shuffled to their feet. I'll be honest: I pulled a really cruel-looking death glare at this point. A couple of them winced, and I started.

"So."

Collective flinch.

"What the hell are you all doing here?"

A collection of mumbles, grumbles, and distinct "he said's".

I snapped. "Kyoya! Why are we all here?"

Greedy Bastard, calm, collected, pushed up his glasses and templed his fingers. "As we are now an entirety, we, as a group, decided we would find you and Haruhi and spend the weekend together. Think of it as... an initiation celebration."

Pinch. "I don't need to be celebrated."

"Like I said... we decided as a whole."

Breath. "Stop deciding."

"Not possible. WE ARE A FAMILY!" This time it was Tamaki.

Grit. "I couldn't think of anything worse than putting up with you lot. As it is, I might as well make breakfast."

I went into the small kitchen that came with my room (and of which I had not used yet) and dug around in the fridge. I cooked and scrambled a few dozen eggs, toasted huge piles of waffles and pulled a gallon of maple syrup from the cupboard. Honey watched occasionally, his sweet tooth getting the better of him, but I would usher him out. The twins hovered over either of my shoulders. "Oooh... smells good!" they would say in their usual way, snitching hash browns that just came out of the pan. I would snap at them and they would scramble off. Tamaki was around my ankle, screaming for forgiveness. I couldn't get him off without punching him and I wouldn't do something like that, so I ignored him and his cries for mercy. I didn't mind Mori; he was quiet and the only one (aside from Haruhi) who didn't bother me to the point of explosion. He would watch from the side, a small smile on his face, and I wondered why this was.

"Takashi... why are you smiling?" I said, not taking my eyes away from the pan.

"Food smells good. Like breakfasts mom made."

I raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't make breakfast for you anymore?"

He shook his head. "Passed away."

"Oh." I said, rather stupidly. "I'm sorry."

He grunted. I had no idea what to say; I was absolutely devastated when my parents died in the crash. I was always used to being alone, but I had to realize at some point that I wasn't the only one hurting. Maybe if I could smile for someone else, just once.

And like the absolute idiot I was, I turned my head away from him and spent a couple seconds to practice smiling.

When I turned back to him, I flashed him the best smile I could muster. I guess my mom had been right when she used to tell me, "Reese, if you keep your face like that, it will get stuck that way." But maybe I could break through the 'stuck' part and make someone else happy.

Surprisingly, Mori covered his mouth with his right hand and chuckled. I blinked. "Did it look that bad?" I asked, bewildered. He shook his head, shaking with what he attempted to keep silent laughter. "Unusual, yes. Bad, no." I scoffed in amusement (an oxymoron?) and smirked, looking back down at the scrambled eggs that I dumped in a bowl. I laughed a bit to myself, too, and picked up some of the things to carry them to the table in the bedroom. I was going to ask Mori to get the rest, but I didn't have to; he was following me with full arms. I set my half of the food on the table. "Ok, dummies. Since there is obviously not enough table space for all of you, some of you will have to eat in other chairs or on the bed."

They nodded in agreement, obviously not going to argue at this point. Hell, they had food in their mouths and they had already pissed me off plenty; the least they could do was comply to my obvious irritation.

I sat on the window sill, my head resting on one knee and the other leg propped up against the oppposing side of the window. I was not hungry and the last thing I was thinking about was food, regardless of the fact that I had just cooked. I pinched the bridge of my nose so head I made my head ache, so I went into the bathroom and downed a couple of aspirin. I locked the door and leaned against it, my reprieve from the mayhem... if just for a little while...

The next thing I knew, someone was pounding on the door and my eyes snapped open. "Reese! Are you ok?"

I rubbed my groggy eyes with my fists, trying to dissolve the sleep. "Um, yeah. I'm fine." I said, opening the door and looking Haruhi in the face. "So when do we leave?"

She smiled. "As soon as you like."

Despite the fact that we lost at least an extra two hours of shopping time, there was plenty of time and I didn't put a curfew on Haruhi. I wasn't a time Nazi, just a "Don't-bother-me" Nazi. However, I dare say I was a burden; on a Saturday, malls were very crowded. I felt crammed and my usually serene bubble was broken, resulting in heavy breathing and a rather frazzled state of mind. I asked Haruhi if I could be excused, and handed her half of what I had taken out of the bank, telling her not to lose it. Then I ran breakneck speed for the restrooms, but the massive crowds were blocking me, bumping into me, invading... I could feel my throat clench up, vision tunneling. Blood rushed into my face and I grasped a banner that blocked off the drop-off to the bottom floor, staggering, my thoughts scattering into the air. I pressed my other hand to the glass, falling to the floor, my labored breathing echoing in my head.

No one noticed; they went about their silly, frivolous lives, encased in their own little world. I tried to control my fear, telling myself that human contact was normal and there wasn't any big deal about it, but my world was closing in faster and faster with each moment I remained in front of the glass. Oddly enough, I could vaguely feel someone lift me up under the arms and haul me to the nearest empty bench. I couldn't see who my savior was; blackness still covered my eyes and I worked to fight through the feeling of false terror. The black started to fade, and my breaths were still shallow, but I was regaining my sight and no one was touching me.

I could vaguely hear someone say, "Hey. Just breathe, mmk?" through the dull ringing in my ears.

The heat faded and I ran my fingers through my hair, rubbing my eyes, and wiping the sweat on my palms off onto my sweats. I looked at the floor, momentarily gathering my wits, and looked to my right.

Now, I'm no rabid, crazed fangirl, but this guy was GORGEOUS.

He sat in a slightly sloppy style, leaning back against the arm of the bench with one arm propping up his head and the other laid across the back of the seat. He wore a suit, with clean, pressed trousers and a sports jacket, but it looked somewhat relaxed and the satin, charcoal grey button up was untucked. He had dark forest green locks that softly fell in his eyes, and bright grey eyes to match the suit. He smiled, revealing even, white teeth. A mischievious twinkle in his eyes gave life and personality to what otherwise could only be a greek god carved from marble. A strong jaw gave him a somewhat arrogant look, paired with high cheekbones and winged eyebrows that showed a devilish, fun side. Regardless of looks, though, I was not one to be daunted or dazed by a handsome man, such as those ditzy women you read about in romance novels. I nodded to him. "Thank you very much."


	5. Cherry Bomb

My apologies for the late upload. I was grounded for half my life, and my family is moving so as I type, I'm surrounded by a mountain of boxes. I know this story is just getting into swing and this is a bad time for me to move, but, being fifteen and all, I don't really make the choices. This quick little zip-up is just shy of a thousand words, so for at least one chapter, you won't have to mark your place and maybe can make your coffee break on time. ^_^ Enjoy, ye of moderate faith!

Disclaimed: I swear to the lord, as good a shape as Danny Trejo is in for a 67-year-old, he's not mine.

* * *

><p>He grinned, his eyes sparkling mischieviously. "No problem. I know a damsel in distress when I see one."<p>

I smirked. "That was not necessarily distress."

"And you aren't a damsel. I've heard it all before."

"You have? And how many girls have you... saved?"

"If I could have your number, I'll call you with the number of lovely ladies and juicy details in which I swooped in, my shining armor at full polish, and rescued them from certain doom."

"I... am not quite that grateful. Regardless, I give you my thanks once again. Have a good day." I stood, keeping my eyes on my shoes this time. I instantly scoured for Haruhi, but in my attempt to walk away with a clean slate and at least a minor bit of dignity left intact, he also stood and grabbed my sleeve to prevent my getaway. I paused, looking first at my arm and then at his face.

Well, he really did have gorgeous eyes...

Damn.

"Please? Gimme a chance. Not every day I meet a lady like you who has the mental capacity to turn me a cold shoulder."

I ran my right hand through my hair, chewing my lip. Was it really worth it? The last had broken off worse than ripping steel apart. Jagged, strained edges, sharp serrations that couldn't be bent back into conformity. Would everyone be like him? I had met good, decent people before. My parents were good people. That, and they had been perfect for each other. My father had never touched my mother unless it was lovingly. Some things, like my parents marrying one another, were just meant to be. This roller coaster ride couldn't possibly end worse than the last one, now could it?

"Fine." I recited my newest cell phone number, and watched as he entered it into his phone with a giddy, almost drunk-with-delight expression. "Gotcha."

"One thing."

"Yeah?" he yipped, a childish contentment now overpowering his face.

"I at least want to know your name...?"

He smiled, that devilish glint returning. "Danny Trejo."

"You can't be serious."

"Naw. I'm Kanate Yorimoshi."

This time, I was free to turn around and leave. While I headed off, I turned around and looked at him over my shoulder. "I'm Ryceryn. You can call me Reese. And Machete was a good movie for my tastes."

I could hear a light chuckle trailing behind me.

xxxxxXXXXXxxxxx

Kanate's Point of View

She was, without a doubt, utterly fascinating and intriguing. I could let my dinner plans with that one chick- what was her name?- go for now. We were only acquaintances and at that stage, it's easy to just pull the "Now's not the right time for a relationship in my life" trick. She was another face in the crowd. But this girl, Ryceryn,  
>wasn't like the blonde bimbos I dated casually on the side. She didn't chase me; I could do the chasing. And in the last ten minutes of my life, I had decided that I could not get enough of the raven haired girl.<p>

A half an hour later, I was snooping around in the racks of Victoria's Secret, watching her and a shorter, brown haired friend, presumably a girl too. I mean, come on.  
>Why would there be a DUDE in Victoria's Secret?<p>

...Don't listen to me.

"Can I help you?" came a sharp voice, the kind that sends jagged arrows from the sky to plow you into the ground. I turned around, scared half out of my wits, to find a sales assistant with bronde hair and a really nasty shade of wine red lipstick on her lips. I twitched. "Erm... not really. I'm just buying a... a... THIS thing," I pulled the nearest item off the rack, "for my girlfriend. This..." I examined the article of clothing, and sweatdropped, but feigned confidence. "I AM BUYING THIS THONG FOR MY GIRLFRIEND!" I touted with an air of definite determination, fist pumping. On the other hand, I was pretty much dying on the inside.

You know those days where you clean out your refrigerator and find a slimy, gross, brown, disgusting smelling onion in there? And it smells so bad you feel your lungs withering? This was a very similar moment, minus the nasty onion. My soul pretty much slipped out of my mouth.

"Ah. That's our sale special. Three pairs for fifty dollars."

I choked. Fifty dollars? "How much is one pair?"

"Thirty-five."

Needless to say, I walked out thirty-five dollars poorer.

But I would not be disheartened!

I carefully examined her from behind leather sofas and benches, potted plants and bed sets, cabinets and pyramid stacks of perfume. Despite how many lame jokes her friend cracked, she never smiled, laughed less, and was basically depressing in presence alone. However, her steel will and self control was endearing... and her disregard for my obvious infatuation.

As I peered out from behind the plastic leaves of a plant that would never grow or die, a baby in a carriage, presumably that of the woman who sat reading a book on the bench behind me, stuck a cherry lollipop in my hair. I did not understand this meaningless cliche, often seen in television shows. Who was careless enough to give their young child a lollipop anyway? All else aside, it happened, there was a cherry lollipop in my hair, I lost thirty-five dollars, and there was a pair of spanking brand new panties in my pocket that might never have an owner. As a matter of fact, I would probably burn them as soon as I got home.

But then again... when I told her they were for my girlfriend...

That wasn't necessarily a lie, now was it?


	6. Happy New Year's from the Host Club!

Happy New Year! I'm leaving behind a lot of things and hopefully I can better my cause. So maybe in your spare time you can read this, but remember I'm not forcing you to. You might need a DeviantArt account to read this- there's some mild mature content. But nothing too inappropriate, I promise.

You can copy and paste this into your address bar but there is a space between deviantart and .com to prevent the filtering.

deviantart .com/art/Child-Abuse-Awareness-Happy-New-Year-277037206?q=gallery%3AAtyramacia%20randomize%3A1&qo=0

And with that thought, here is that update I've been leaving behind!

* * *

><p>December 31<p>

_Dear Mrs. McLead,_  
><em>Thank you again so much for helping me buy my new home. I feel it was a very worthy investment in money on my part and time on yours, and I can't thank you enough for taking time out of your day to help me narrow down my choices. The cottage is beautiful, and in time, I will make it my home.<em>

_Sincerely, Reese_

I tapped the last letter on my keyboard and pressed 'enter' to send her the email, and stood up off of the floor to gaze at the few boxes surrounding me.  
>If there was one thing I hated, it was moving, but at least I didn't have many belongings to move in the first place. Regardless of how little there was, the last thing I felt like doing was unpacking boxes and sleeping on the front lawn didn't sound like such a bad idea after all. I checked the corner of my laptop to find it was 7:52, and I decided that either way, a nap was in short order. I curled up and dozed off for a while, just a normal, dreamless nap- and when I stood and ruffled my hair back into place, I picked up said laptop and moved the mouse to check the clock again.<p>

It was nearly 11:00. I sighed somewhat- New Year's had never been my thing- and trotted to the kitchen to the only thing that was unpacked and ready to go, also known as my refridgerator. I pulled out meats and cheeses and began to snack, of course. I'd never been one much to care about my figure and if I ended up being fat later in life, well, that was my own problem.

Ah. How it surprised me that my silly Host Club radar didn't detect them breaking into my house in a very ninja style fashion. They pulled me right off the counter mid-salami and, startled, I kicked SOMEONE in his face but was not quite sure who. That question was answered almost immediately-

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" came Tamaki's scream, and I looked up to see blood coming out of his nose.

I grinned just a bit sadistically. "Sorry about that. You all should really be careful about the people you stalk." I said, staring at the entire motley crew amid Tamaki's claims that he was NOT a stalker. Kyoya nodded, clipboard in hand as he scribbled. "I don't think I have to ask how you found me..." I said,  
>glaring at him somewhat, and he just smiled in his calculating way and his glasses flashed. "So what crappy half-baked plan did Tamaki come up with tonight that apparently ALL the hosts have to attend?"<p>

"A New Year's Eve ball being held at the Suoh Estate."

And, well, next thing I know I'm naturally being dragged off by the idiots to Tamaki's place and I am handed my choice outfit of the night. A pale yellow long sleeved shirt with a sparkly golden vest. And that is NOT the best part. I also had long black trousers that appeared to be bedazzled in swirly patterns.  
>A long sleeved white trench coat (meant to be worn unbuttoned) came with the deal, and you know what? That's still not the BEST part.<p>

"How do you people wear this crap? It's so tacky!" I yelled in one of the guest rooms- apparently for tonight a spare changing room- as I stared at the horrid sparkly black top hat with swirly golden and white ribbon at the base. But then Honey gave me the puppy dog eyes. "Please put it on, Ry-sama? For ME?" his eyes watering. I inwardly moped at the outward, extroverted outfit that would surely suck all life out of me and kill me from the inside out. See? I'm dying already.

Well, I put on that craptastic outfit and dealt with it.

I stepped into the ballroom from a side door, and was suddenly surrounded by classical music and dancing people. The thought occurred to me that there must have been upwards of five hundred people. As much as I tried to make myself invisibly, it was not happening, and a plethora of girls from Ouran rushed up to me and gooned over the outfit. "Ooooh! It's so beautiful!" "Dear god, you're so gorgeous!" "DANCE WITH MEEE!" So I grabbed some random girl's hand, knowing that dancing was required, and swung her around the floor as others looked on. Now, I don't believe very much in cliches, especially in my story, but it just so happened that this was one of those fairy tale dances in which everyone stops to gaze at the main protagonist and his (or her) partner in their dancing glory, and this just happened to be one of those moments. It panicked me a little to know that everyone was watching me, but I kept smiling.

"Reese... they're all watching us!" the girl gushed, and blushed, and whatever-ushed. I grinned. "It's fine. Let them. For now, it's all about you." I said,  
>turning on that special charm that I'd been forced to fine-tune during Host Club meetings. She squealed but didn't let go of my hands as I swung her around.<p>

I went through a few more ladies and eventually, something caught my eye. That dark green shade of hair and the slate eyes, and I growled inwardly. That Kanate creep- he was new to Ouran, right?- was standing at the drinks and sipping lightly. I almost ignored him, I swear I almost did! but the golden head of Tamaki advancing toward him sparked my brain. It's always weird how Tama-senpai could pick out the good looking ones without appearing gay, even if he did occasionally come off as such. But if there was one thing I WASN'T, it was stupid- and like most other people could probably draw from this picture, it was that Tamaki was most likely wandering over there to invite him to join the hosts. Just then, the most current song ended and I let go of the girl. How convenient of the narrator to do so. Well, I thought as I ran, and MAYBE dumping a glass of punch all over his outfit would delay him, but he would eventually ask Kanate anyway.

Hell, it was worth a shot!

So I grabbed a glass off of the table and dashed behind Tamaki lightning-style, and threw it on the back of his outfit and dashed into the crowd before he could see, JUST as he reached Kanate. I watched from a distance as Tamaki's eyes widened and he turned tail to try and see the back. Naturally, in his Tama-like reflexes, he grabbed a french silk pie and hurled it at the nearest person. That particular person happened to run him into the table.

Well, I'd started a good old fashioned food fight, and it was more than I had hoped for.

I had never seen so much food fly in my life- when there was line of tables two hundred and fifty feet long holding the buffet, I'll leave the imagining up to you. Pretty much the entire ballroom was painted a new color, with a variety of greens and reds and browns and the like repainting the walls. I was not exempted from the fire and ended up getting pummeled myself, but it was a rather large improvement over the starting point for my outfit.

So just as midnight struck, no one was paying attention and a mass food rainbow had been pasted along all the walls.

Girls were screaming and screeching about their dresses but most had already gotten too wild in the frenzy to truly care, and the refined gentlemen had turned into food-pumping machine guns in the natural way of having good old fashioned teenage fun. And, well, when I happened to turn, the Shadow King Kyoya was glaring at me like murder, and I cringed. Vanilla mint ice cream was pasted to the side of his head, a glob of tuna salad covered one of his glasses lens that he viciously wiped off, and I couldn't even tell what was on his outfit anymore.

And I was most certainly dead.


End file.
